Spiritual formation is the process of being shaped into the image of Jesus for the sake of others. Whether we realize it or not, we are all being formed by something—our habits, relationships, and the culture around us. True spiritual formation happens when we intentionally adopt the practices of Jesus, live in community, and are led by the Holy Spirit into a life of love.
At South Bay Church, we center our lives around the classical spiritual disciplines, creating a rhythm—or a rule of life—to anchor us in the way of Jesus. Use the guide below filled with south bay teachings, apps, and books to deepen your walk with Jesus.
A church of communion with God in a culture of distraction and escapism through the discipline of prayer.
And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like the pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. - Matthew 6v7-8
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A church of courageous adherence to the Bible in a culture of compromised ideals, through the discipline of scripture.
For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope. - Romans 15v4
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A church of holiness in a culture of indulgence and immorality through the discipline of fasting.
When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. - Matthew 6v16-18
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A church of love and depth in a culture of individualism and superficiality through the discipline of community.
For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. - Romans 12v4-5
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A church of hospitality in a culture of hostility through the discipline of witness.
You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. - Matthew 5v14-16
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